There are a number of U.S. patents that disclose label media useful for marking or identifying objects, such as electrical wires. Some label media designs comprise a series of identical die cut labels that are supported by a releasable liner. The liner is fed through a printer, such as a handheld thermal transfer printer, in a length or “web” direction and indicia is printed on the labels. The liner may include features that interact with a registration system of the printer to control the feed of labels through the printer and appropriately position the labels relative to the print head. After being printed upon and exiting the printer, the labels are removed from the liner and slipped on, or wrapped around, the object to be identified.
There are many combinations of labels and liners that provide labels of different colors, formats and sizes due to the variety of different labeling applications. However, the sizes of label media designs, particularly designs in which the labels are positioned in a “cross-web” direction, are limited by the sizes of appropriate printers. For example, label media that is narrow in the cross-web direction is used with compact handheld printers. That is, compact handheld printers cannot accommodate label media that is wide in the cross-web direction. As a result, compact printer designs often provide labels with few printed characters or indicia that is otherwise difficult to interpret. Further still, in some cases, the area of label media in which indicia may be printed is additionally limited by the presence of an adjacent laminating area that covers the indicia after the label is attached to the object to be identified.
Considering the limitations of previous designs, it would be desirable to have label media that is relatively wide in the cross-web direction and may be used with compact printers.